Short Title
This Act may be cited as the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19).
Interpretation and Application
In this Act, period includes the time during which a licence, permit or other authorization is valid.
If a time limit is suspended or extended or a period is extended under this Act, then, during the period that the suspension or extension is in effect, every reference in any Act of Parliament or its regulations to that time limit or period is to be read as a reference to the time limit or period as it is suspended or extended.
This Act does not apply in respect of the investigation of an offence or in respect of a proceeding respecting an offence.
This Act does not apply in respect of a time limit or other period that is established by or under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
Purpose
The purpose of this Act is
to temporarily suspend certain time limits and to temporarily authorize, in a flexible manner, the suspension or extension of other time limits in order to prevent any exceptional circumstances that may be produced by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from making it difficult or impossible to meet those time limits; and
to temporarily authorize, in a flexible manner, the extension of other periods in order to prevent any unfair or undesirable effects that may result from the expiry of those periods due to those exceptional circumstances.
For greater certainty, this Act is to be interpreted in a manner that provides certainty in relation to proceedings and that respects the rule of law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Time Limits Related to Proceedings
The following time limits are, if established by or under an Act of Parliament, suspended for the period that starts on March 13, 2020 and that ends on September 13, 2020 or on any earlier day fixed by order of the Governor in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice:
any limitation or prescription period for commencing a proceeding before a court;
any time limit in relation to something that is to be done in a proceeding before a court; and
any time limit within which an application for leave to commence a proceeding or to do something in relation to a proceeding is to be made to a court.
The court may, by order, vary the suspension of a time limit as long as the commencement date of the suspension remains the same and the duration of the suspension does not exceed six months.
The court may make orders respecting the effects of a failure to meet a suspended time limit, including orders that cancel or vary those effects.
The Governor in Council may, by order made on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, lift a suspension in circumstances specified in the order.
Other Time Limits and Periods
The minister who is responsible for an Act of Parliament set out in column 1 of the schedule or a relevant portion of the Act may make an order
suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under any provision of the Act that is set out in column 2;
extending any other period that is established by or under any provision of the Act that is set out in column 2;
if a regulation is set out in column 2 in respect of the Act,
suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under that regulation, or
extending any other period that is established by or under that regulation; or
extending a suspension or extension.
The minister who is responsible for a regulation set out in column 1 of the schedule or a relevant portion of the regulation may make an order
suspending or extending a time limit that is established by or under any provision of the regulation that is set out in column 2;
extending any other period that is established by or under any provision of the regulation that is set out in column 2; or
extending a suspension or extension.
The total duration of a suspension or extension must not exceed six months. However, a suspension must not have the effect of allowing a time limit to continue after December 31, 2020 and an extended time limit or period must end on or before that day.
An order under subsection (1) or (2) may, if it so provides, have retroactive effect, but not before March 13, 2020, and it may also include provisions respecting the effects of a failure to meet the time limit or of the expiry of the period before the day on which the order was made, including provisions that cancel or vary those effects.
a suspension or extension does not apply in respect of any circumstance specified in the order without the consent of a person, court or body specified in the order;
a suspension or extension applies in respect of any circumstance specified in the order unless a person, court or body specified in the order decides otherwise; or
a person, court or body specified in the order may vary the effects of the order in relation to any circumstance specified in the order.
General
A power conferred on the Governor in Council or a minister under this Act is not to be exercised after September 30, 2020.
Transparency and Parliamentary Oversight
An order made under subsection 6(1) or (4) or 7(1) or (2), together with the reasons for making it, must be published, as soon as feasible after the day on which it is made but no later than five days after the day on which it is made, on a Government of Canada website for a period of at least six months.
An order referred to in subsection (1) must be published in Part I of the Canada Gazette within 14 days after the day on which it is made.
An order that is tabled in a House of Parliament must be referred to a committee of that House.
Acts, Regulations and Provisions Column 1 Column 2 Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act Loi sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité Bankruptcy and Insolvency General Rules Règles générales sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité Boards of Trade Act Loi sur les chambres de commerce Canada Business Corporations Act Loi canadienne sur les sociétés par actions Canada Cooperatives Act Loi canadienne sur les coopératives Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation and Offshore Renewable Energy Management Act Loi de mise en oeuvre de l’Accord atlantique Canada — Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador et sur la gestion de l’énergie renouvelable extracôtière Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act Loi canadienne sur les organisations à but non lucratif Canadian Forces Superannuation Act Loi sur la pension de retraite des Forces canadiennes Canadian Forces Superannuation Regulations Règlement sur la pension de retraite des Forces canadiennes Reserve Force Pension Plan Regulations Règlement sur le régime de pension de la force de réserve Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act Loi sur les arrangements avec les créanciers des compagnies Diplomatic Service (Special) Superannuation Act Loi sur la pension spéciale du service diplomatique Excise Tax Act Loi sur la taxe d’accise Firearms Act Loi sur les armes à feu Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act Loi sur la saisie-arrêt et la distraction de pensions Income Tax Act Loi de l’impôt sur le revenu Investment Canada Act Loi sur Investissement Canada National Security Review of Investments Regulations Règlement sur les investissements susceptibles de porter atteinte à la sécurité nationale (examen) Lieutenant Governors Superannuation Act Loi sur la pension de retraite des lieutenants-gouverneurs Lieutenant Governors Superannuation Regulations Règlement sur la pension de retraite des lieutenants-gouverneurs Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act Loi sur les allocations de retraite des parlementaires Former Members of Parliament Elections for Joint and Survivor Benefits Regulations Règlement sur les choix relatifs à la pension de réversion des anciens parlementaires Recovery of Overpayments Made to Former Members of Parliament Regulations Règlement sur le recouvrement des versements payés en trop aux anciens parlementaires Pension Benefits Division Act Loi sur le partage des prestations de retraite Public Service Superannuation Act Loi sur la pension de la fonction publique Counting of Service by Former Members of the Senate or House of Commons Regulations Règlement du calcul du service des anciens membres du Sénat ou de la Chambre des communes Portions of the Public Service General Divestiture Regulations Règlement général sur la cession de secteurs de la fonction publique Public Service Superannuation Regulations Règlement sur la pension de la fonction publique Public Service Superannuation Special Election Regulations Règlement sur l’exercice d’un choix spécial aux fins de la pension de la fonction publique Supplementary Death Benefit Regulations Règlement sur les prestations supplémentaires de décès Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act Loi sur la pension de retraite la Gendarmerie royale du Canada Former Members of Parliament Counting of Service Regulations Règlement sur l’inclusion du service des anciens parlementaires Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Regulations Règlement sur la pension de retraite de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada Special Import Measures Act Loi sur les mesures spéciales d’importation Wage Earner Protection Program Act Loi sur le Programme de protection des salariés Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (aéronefs) Canada Labour Standards Regulations Règlement du Canada sur les normes du travail Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Règlement canadien sur la santé et la sécurité au travail Food and Drug Regulations Règlement sur les aliments et drogues Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail en milieu maritime Nunavut Mining Regulations Règlement sur l’exploitation minière au Nunavut On Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (trains) Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Regulations Règlement sur la continuation des pensions de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada